A Day of Thought
by tHe dAily ScRibbLeR
Summary: A whole day and, no matter how much he tried to resist, his mind just kept drifting back to a certain troublesome kunochi. DISCONTINUED.
1. Dawn

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters of _Naruto_.

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**Dawn**

**_noun: the first appearance of light in the sky before sunrise._**

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"Shikamaru! Get your lazy bum down here before I come up there and get you myself!" Yoshino yelled to her son from the first floor of their house. He, having completely forgotten that today was a Sunday, rolled on his side and got up, only to trip on his sheets as soon as he made his first step. He groaned, it was only five o'clock and his mother was already yelling out commands to him. He knew from the start that today would be a bad day.

"Coming, kachan!" he hollered back to her, not wanting to have to face her wrath if he didn't go downstairs soon. He threw on his shirt and his pants, grabbing his Jounin flak jacket as he went downstairs.

"Now, I need you to feed the deer, make sure they're all there, the usual." she said, listing each thing off with her finger.

"Yeah, yeah. What else?" he asked as he slipped on his flak jacket.

"I'm going to the market so you can probably make yourself some breakfast an-oh, I almost forgot. All of the jounin are assigned to the delegates from each nation and you're assigned to guide the Kazekage's brother and sister. Not like it's anything new to you." she said as she opened the door.

"Yeah, yeah. Ja ne, okasan." he said as he waved goodbye. He groaned, today definitely _wasn't _his day. First, he had to wake up at the ungodly hour of five (a time in which most shinobi were still fast asleep) just to do housewife chores, and then he had to find out that he had to drag not one but _two _troublesome sunans around with him.

He walked outside and looked at the still-darkened sky, the sun not set to rise for at least the next hour. He sighed, put his hands in his pockets, and set out for the mile walk to his clans' infamous deer-infested land. He looked up to the sky and sighed, only a few grey and wispy clouds in sight. It had rained just a few days ago, even though it was reaching the end of the summer, and it had taken his beloved white and puffy clouds with it.

After half an hour of walking, he finally got to the land. He performed the rat seal and began the Kage Nui jutsu, sending his shadow to lash out at five chakra strings inside of the gated land, which then set off quite a few explosive tags and sent out a volley of kunai. Feeling it was safe, he opened the gates and stepped inside, grabbing the bucket labeled "Deer Food" and peeked inside. Thankfully, there was just enough for the day.

He roamed the area in search of the deer. They most often were clumped together, as the fact that they worked in a pack-like fashion with an alpha-male and his "followers", and therefore very easy to find and feed. However, after five minutes of aimless wandering he had only come across the newest addition to the "pack".

A doe they named Aiko, who was just a few weeks old, stumbled to him and nuzzled his palm, looking up to him lovingly. He smiled and held out a handful of oats, watching in a comfortable silence as the young doe hesitantly and cautiously took a small lick of the oat. Soon enough she had finished off all that was in his hand, leaving behind a thin layer of spittle across the palm of his hand.

Moments after Aiko had finished off the oats her mother, Nasakebukai, came up to him, probably wondering where her offspring was. Nasakebukai was, ironically, near the exact opposite of the meaning of her name. As a young doe she was rather indifferent to any of the other deers' needs and left a nasty cut on Shikamaru the first time he tried to feed her, when he was around thirteen years old. When he was younger, Shikamaru once said that he was worried for her offspring simply because Nasakebukai might just kill the poor thing from being too tough on it.

However, once Shikaku had found a wounded deer nearly a mile outside of Konoha and brought him back to their land to be treated, Nasakebukai had seemingly got even more harsh and uncooperative. Shikamaru had predicted that she would try to challenge the young buck to a fight by the end of the day but Shikaku and Yoshino had both predicted that the young buck they had named Sounansha, meaning survivor, would impregnate Nasakebukai by the end of the next mating season. Shikamaru thought they were crazy and even was so sure of himself to put fifteen yen on it.

After several months, at which Nasakebukai began growing ever-so plumper and Sonansha began getting quite protective of her, Shikamaru begrudgingly handed over the fifteen yen to his parents.

_"As I said before, Shikamaru, even the toughest woman is tender with the man she loves." Shikaku had repeated his mantra to Shikamaru once he stuffed the yen into his pocket. Yoshino simply rolled her eyes and smiled all too-knowingly._

_"Troublesome. If I ever fall for a woman as troublesome as okasan..." Shikamaru had said as soon as his mother left to tend to some chores, trailing off as his father gave him a pointed glance._

_"Haven't you already fallen for a 'troublesome' woman, son?" Shikaku asked knowingly, causing Shikamaru to pause and reconsider all of the "troublesome" women in his life._

_"I already told you that I stopped liking Ino back in the acad-" he began exasperatedly, apparently having gone through this with his father numerous times._

_"No, no. Not Inochi's daughter. That other blonde. The one from Su-" Shikaku explained only to be cut off by Shikamaru sending his father a shocked look._

_"That troublesome woman?" he interrupted, scowling. The woman that had nearly beaten him to a pulp the last time she visited. She'd demanded a re-match and hadn't let him leave without some sort of deal. It had been late afternoon, the perfect time for napping. He'd sighed and, since the shadows were already at his advantage, gave in, albeit begrudgingly. The troublesome woman actually gave him quite a few bruises and scratches before he'd managed to get her under his jutsu._

Shikamaru smiled at the memory and went off to find the rest of the deer, Aiko and Nasakebukai trailing at his heels. Within the hour he had all of the deer fed and accounted for and was nearing home. He looked around the Konoha markets. Something was off. He knew it he just couldn't quite place it. He quickly went over all the things that had happened within the week. Nothing was really new except that the five kages were me-oh shit. He groaned and made his way to the gates of Konoha.

"Izumo! Were the Kazekage and his siblings here today?" he asked hurriedly.

"Um...yeah they just got here about five minutes ago. The brothers went to the hotel but Temari just sort of left." Kotetsu offered. Shikamaru groaned, whenever Temari just "disappears" it's usually not good.

"Thanks, guys." he called as he left for his house. I mean, as long as Temari's gonna kick his ass he mind as well get a nap in beforehand. He abled to his house but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw none other than Temari at his door. He slinked into his backyard and took the side entrance into his house, if Temari was going to kill Shikamaru he wanted his parents to bear eyewitness.

"Took longer than usual, Shikamaru." Shikaku remarked, not a question but not exactly a statement.

"Yeah, I needed to ask Kotetsu and Izumo something." he replied as he put the now-empty bucket on the kitchen table and made his way to his room.

"Hey, Shikamaru." Shikaku called after his son, who was currently climbing the stairs.

"Yeah?" he asked, inwardly groaning. He was _so _close to his room. He could just try to make a run for it. No, that wouldn't be smart.

"Who's the blonde girl that's on our doorstep?" Shikaku asked, eyeing her Sunan forehead protecter and the fans she held in each of her hands.

"Blonde girl? You mean Ino? You're losing your mind, otosan." he teased as he climbed the stairs. Only three steps, two if he really stretched, and then he'd be in his room. Maybe he could fake sleeping. Then the troublesome woman would leave.

"No, no. The one from Suna. The one with fishnet leggings, her hair in four pigtails. Blueish eyes. Looks like she's about to blow this house down. You should come down here and greet her properly." Shikaku teased as he watched Shikamaru trudge down the stairs and shoot him a glare. Shikaku chuckled and smiled, it was as if history were repeating itself. Shikamaru sighed, and opened the door to a rather pissed-off looking Temari. Oh goody. He knew this day was going to be bad from the moment he woke up.

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Author's Note: So sorry it's so short! This was only really half of the original chapters' length but I didn't really like the other half and I'm re-editing it and I was desperate to get at least something out before I leave for my weeklong trip (in which I won't have access to a computer). Yes, it's quite depressing. I'm bringing a small notebook just in case I get any ideas however, I won't be able to update anything in a week :( Anyways, please review. Just say how you like it, don't like it, heck even if you hate it.


	2. Sunrise

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the _Naruto characters mentioned. This is fan-fiction after all.

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_****Sunrise**

**_noun; the time in the morning when the sun appears or full daylight arrives._**

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"What're you doing here, troublesome woman?" Shikamaru asked, yawning as he feigned just waking up.

"Oi! Don't give me that, baka. I _know _that your mother would _never_ let you sleep till this late. Oh, and you were supposed to be my guide. So you sorta have to be there to, you know, _guide _us." she explained, letting out an exasperated sigh as she rolled her eyes.

"Well, you've been here enough times to know your way around and just because Tsunade gave me this godforsaken mis-wait. How would _you _know if my mother would let me sleep this late. You haven't even met the woman." he said, somewhat skeptical of her assumptions. She turned a rather violent-looking shade of red and thwacked him on his shoulder with one of her new-and-improved smaller fans.

"Oi! What'd _I _do? _You're _the one that was ass-" he began, only to be interrupted by a shrill voice he'd come to know and fear.

"Shikamaru! Let the poor woman in, she's been standing out in the freezing cold for god knows how long!" Yoshino scolded from inside their home, her hands on her hips and a thunderous look in her eyes.

"It's _August_, kachan. If anything, she's probably just a little bit cold. She _is _from one of the Suna after all." he grumbled as he stepped aside and let Temari in. Once seeing the Nara matriarch, her face lit up instantly.

"Oh, Yoshino-san. It's so nice to finally meet you." Temari greeted, bowing slightly and giving her an uncharacteristically bright smile. Yoshino turned a tinge pink, probably not used to such flattery, and immediately turned to Shikamaru expectantly.

"Hm? Oh, Temari-san, kachan. Kachan, Temari-san." he said lethargically. Yoshino swatted at him and Temari simply rolled her eyes at his blatant apathetic behavior.

"Nice to meet you, Yoshino-san." Temari said politely, reverting to her calm and diplomatic attitude she used during meetings with other foreign ambassadors.

"You too, Temari-san. I've heard so much about you from Shi-" she gushed, already warming up to the Sunan beauty.

"_Kachan_. We have to go." Shikamaru groaned, his face tinted with a hint of pink.

"Okay then, but you must come over for dinner sometime during your stay." Yoshino insisted as they made their way out the door.

"Yeah, yeah she'll be here again." Shikamaru groaned as he pulled Temari out the door.

"I like that girl. She rather reminds me of myself back when we were dating." Yoshino said to her husband once the door slammed shut. She turned to face Shikaku and grinned widely, wheels already turning in her mind.

"I don't know, I faintly remember you telling my mother to 'go to the hellhole you came from' the first time you two met." Shikaku countered teasingly, barely dodging a wet rag thrown his way.

"I thought I told you not to speak of that! Besides, it was completely different circumstances." Yoshino huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest and went about to do housework. Shikaku chucked to himself and made his way to his study, if Yoshino found out he'd forgotten to clean it up she'd have his head.

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"I like your mom, Shikamaru. I haven't the _faintest _idea why you find her so 'troublesome'." Temari said innocently, smiling widely and chuckling when he rolled his eyes.

"What'd you find more endearing, when she was yelling at me or when she demanded you stay for dinner?" he replied sarcastically, watching in amusement as she stopped as if to pause to consider the options.

"Hmm...I don't know, I think that it was a tie between the two." Temari joked as she began walking again, quickly catching up with his dreadfully slow pace.

"Heh. You know, I actually thought that you two would've been at each-others' necks." he said off-handedly as they rounded the corner to her hotel.

"Why'd you think that?" she asked curiously, Yoshino did actually seem like a pretty good person.

"Well, you're both stubborn as bulls and possibly the most violent people I know." he said, watching amusedly as her expression went from curious to annoyed and then to exasperated.

"What a charmer." she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she walked into the hotel and waved goodbye without turning around. He rolled his eyes, sighed, and turned around. He looked to the horizon and took in the beauty that was watching the sun rise in Konoha, it _almost _made up for the fact that it rained what seemed like 99% of the time.

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Author's Note: Oh god, it's _so_ short! I'm really sorry about that! Seriously, I'll try to make it up to you readers with the next chapter! I'd really love a review :) Seriously, I'm like dying for a review because I really like this story and I really want to hear your thoughts on it! 'Till next chapter! Auf Wiedersehen (yes I do watch _Project Runway_)!


	3. Midday

**_Midday_**

**_noun; middle of the day; noon_**

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"Hurry up, lazy-ass! I haven't got all day." Temari called over her shoulder to Shikamaru. He sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets, grumbling about 'troublesome woman' and 'making me walk too fast'. She rolled her eyes and then a simply wicked smile came across her face. She glanced back to Shikamaru, who was still walking as slow as a snail, and then bursted into full-on sprinting.

"Oi, wait up! Damn woman." he grumbled as he started debated whether to catch up with her. His shadow obviously couldn't reach as far as she was away from him so that was off the list of ways to get the crazed Temari to stop. He finally sighed and began jogging after her.

"Come on, Shikamaru! Don't tell me a woman can outrun someone as manly as you!" she teased as she glanced over her shoulder. She gave him a wide smile as she continued wandering down the streets of Konoha, occasionally glancing at small shops.

"Damn troublesome woman. Gonna be the death of me." he groaned as he caught up with her, slightly out of breath.

"Oi! You hungry?" he asked as he spotted her eyeing a small restaurant. He wasn't trying to get her to stop running. Really, not at all.

"You just want to take a little break from all that _strenuous _activity. Besides, what's it to you?" she asked defensively, walking faster as she purposefully avoided looking at the restaurants.

"Well I can't have the sister of the Kazekage dying on me, now can I? Besides-wait where are your brothers? Aren't they supposed to be here?" he asked as he glanced around, somehow thinking that the redhead and brunette would randomly appear out of nowhere.

"Hm? Oh they can take care of themselves. Besides, Kankurou's helping Gaara prep for the meeting later today. We're both going, you know? Well, actually we're not exactly supposed to go but we think that it's in everyone's best interest for us to help keep everything in check." she said, smiling widely at him.

"You know I could get in trouble for knowing that and not doing anything about it?" he asked, having a feeling he already knew the answer.

"Yup. But that makes it all the more fun, 'cause now you can come with us. Help us spy on that creep Danzo. I'm seriously getting some bad vibes from that guy. Just seeing him when we came here was weird. I mean, I'm so used to seeing the eternally hung-over Tsunade." she said, smiling yet again as she thought of the old Hokage.

"Meh. Too troublesome. So, ready for lunch?" he asked as he pointed to a small barbecue restaurant.

"Huh? Oh no, I'm good." she replied nonchalantly as she continued walking down the street.

"Come on, even you need to eat. I'll even pay for it." he offered, resorting to his last, and least desirable, option. She did need to eat, after all.

"No, I'm good." she continued as she walked down a small side-street and peered into a few more shops.

"Okay then...so what do you want to do?" he asked, surprised since she usually was the one to drag him to a restaurant and demand the three-course lunch with a side of miso soup.

"I don't know, why don't we just cloud-watch or something." she suggested casually as she made a turn and headed for his famous "cloud-watching hill".

"Wait-is this some kind of test or something? You're the one that's always telling me that cloud-watching is practically a sin and that I should be doing something productive with my time instead of 'watching those enlarged blobs of cotton'." Shikamaru retorted as he looked at her skeptically.

"Well, now I wanna look at those 'enlarged blobs of cotton' and if you don't want to then you can leave." she huffed as she began climbing up the hill.

"Always such an absolute pleasure to be around." he said sarcastically as he trudged behind her. She smiled and turned around once they reached the top of the hill.

"Knew you'd make the right decision, lazy-ass." she smirked as she sat down and patted a patch of grass next to her, motioning for him to sit next to her.

"Meh. It was either sitting here with you and watching clouds or risk Danzo yelling at me when he finds out that I wasn't staying with you 24/7." he replied as he laid down and prepared for a nice long nap.

"Oi! What're you doing, lazy-ass?" she asked accusingly.

"Getting ready for a nap, woman. _Your_ mom didn't wake you up at five this morning for no reason except to do house-chores." he retorted as he readjusted himself, prepared for the all-too familiar whack on the head.

"Oh quit your complaining, baka! I mean really, the people Suna are expected to be up by five every day for their training." she huffed, a hint of pride for her nation evident in her voice.

"No wonder why there's a high suicide rate in Suna, the men have to deal with bitchy women getting them up at five every morning." he retorted as he slowly sat up.

"I'll have you know that the men there are pleased to get woken up by their wives in the morn-hey! Wait, why do you think that only men are getting woken up? And why do you think that their meager housewives are the ones waking them up?" she screeched, attracting the attention of a couple passing by.

"Oi, calm down! Come on, we're going to lunch. I at least know that you have the decency not to cause a scene in a restaurant." he groaned as he grabbed her hand and practically dragged her to the closest restaurant.

"I can walk by myself, ass." she hissed as she pulled her hand away from his and straightened up.

"Konichiwa, welcome to Hirozen! My name is Emiko and I'll be your waitress today. Let me get you two seated." a black-haired, blue-eyed and quite peppy woman said as she led the pair to a small booth. She motioned for them to sit down and set their menus down.

"I'll be right back for your drink order." she said cheerfully as she gave them a very Ino-esque look.

"Something seems off about that girl. She's too...peppy." Temari said suspiciously as she slid into the booth, taking out her fan and placing it on the table.

"Well, that is what she's paid to do." Shikamaru replied as he picked up his menu.

"What kind of restaurant is this?" Temari asked incredulously as she scanned through the menu, grimacing as she read the cheesy titles of some of the entrees.

"Oh what is it now?" he groaned. She simply shoved her menu in his face and motioned for him to read it. Tempestuous Tempura, Rendevous Rice Patties,

"Oh kami this isn't Hi-oh damnit. It isn't Sunday is it?" Shikamaru asked anxiously as he looked around the place as if expecting somebody.

"Yeah, I think it's Sund-" she answered, still confused as to why he was freaking out.

"We have to leave now. Ino comes here every Sunday with a different date and if she sees us here she's gonna have a field day. God, the name of the restaurant totally slipped my mind." he continued as he slid out of the booth.

"I don't know, I think that it'd be nice to see Blondie again." she replied with a smirk, always looking forward to seeing the blonde.

"We are not staying here. Do you know how troublesome she is when she finds even the slightest hint of gossip? I'd never hear the end of it." he continued as he, for the second time that day, practically pulled her away.

"Come on, don't be such a wimp. Besides, she knows what kind of relationship we have and it's not like there's any underly-oh look, there she is!" Temari said as she spotted the platinum blonde and waved. Ino, having spotted the dirty-blonde, was quick to drag her seemingly disgruntled date towards them.

"Oh, Temari! It's so great to see you here! I mean, it's been ages since we've had a chance to talk. It's just d-oh my god! Shikamaru! I can't believe I didn't see you there! I mean it's so-oh my gosh! Did I just crash your date or something? I totally didn't even realize! I'll just leave you two alone then!" Ino said in a rush, leaving as quickly as she came, dragging her date away yet again.

"You know, if I'd blinked and gone momentarily deaf I probably wouldn't have even known she was here." Temari said dazedly as soon as she returned from her shocked state.

"You can't say I didn't warn you. I mean, she's probably already told half the town what she just saw." he replied as he took a sip of his water.

"Well...she should realize that it was simply a lunch between two colleagues. Nothing more than a meeting between friends." she reasoned as if she was trying to convince herself.

"Well then you clearly don't know Ino as well as I thought you did." he chuckled as a waitress came by with two glasses of water.

"Well, hello there! What can I get you two today?" Emiko asked, practically radiating exuberance.

"I'll just have some miso soup if you have any." Temari deadpanned, quickly growing annoyed at the waitress's peppiness.

"Great choice! And for you, sir?" Emiko asked, completely oblivious to Temari's annoyance.

"I'll have the same. Thanks." Shikamaru said, his voice retaining the same monotonous tone as ever.

"Great! It'll be up in a jiffy!" she squealed as she practically skipped back to the kitchen.

"Did she just say jiffy?" Temari asked as she looked at the waitress incredulously.

"It's August in Konoha and it's not raining. Everyone's entitled to be a little bit...sporadic." Shikamaru said amusedly as he glanced outside.

"No need to take up all of Konoha's quota of excitement in one person." Temari groaned, although her slight smile betraying her words.

"You know, maybe that's why Suna has a high suicide rate: because there aren't enough people like Emiko and Ino there." Shikamaru said faux-pensively, trying not to smirk.

"If anything they'd double the suicide rate in Suna." Temari scoffed, looking up just in time to see Emiko balancing their food as if she were some sort of act at a circus.

"And to think, it's only noon." Temari groaned as Emiko, and their food, toppled down and fell onto the floor.


End file.
